Railroad-rail coupling



I A. McC'LUR E ND- WLW. BQULIDN.

' RAILB-OAD RAIL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNK-I19 [918.

1,329,306. I Patented Ja11. 27, 1920'.

- I INVENTOR 1 I v 'ROVflL fl gLung WILLIAM w. mourns v ATTORNEY f UNITED srarns PATENT onFroE. 1'

ROYAL A. Mormons em) WILLIAM w. BOULTGN, on snarrrs, WASHINGTON AssIeN'ons T0. UNIVERSAL ELEVATED RAILWAY co, or, SEATTLE, WASH- moron.

To all whom it may concern: v Be it known that we, ROYA 'A. MoCLunn and WILLIAM /V. BoUL'roN, citizens of the ployed in switches, bridge crossings and the I like, and the object of this improvement is to provide a coupling centrally disposed within the rail that is adapted to be actuated manually or by power.

Further objects will appear from the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional end view of the rail and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away, showing the application of the coupling mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 represents a movable rail actuated by power or otherwise, and within'the end of this rail is provided a member 2 countersunk therein and rigidly attached to the side of the rail by bolts 3. 4 are centrally disposed upper and lower apertures provided in this member 2 for.

the rece tion of pins 5 of the yoke member 15. This yoke member is disposed within the stationary rail 6 with the pins thereof having slidable contact through slotted apertures provided in the transverse brace member 16 and this brace member is attached to the super-structural body of the rail for sustaining the yoke pins in rigid alinement with the rail.

7 is a coupling rod connected at one end to the yoke member and extending rearwardly within the rail, and upon the rear end of this rod is provided a lateral pin 8 which is adapted to engage a U shaped socket upon theend of the rocker arm 9. This rocker arm is pivotally attached to the base of the rail,"as at 10, and has a similar U shaped socket provided on the other end thereof,

' RAILROAD-RAIL COUPLIN Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d g gza, 192.0. Application filed June 19, 1915. Serial no. 241,077.

mounted in any convenient locationnpon the structural supports 14; beneath the rail.

- I It is=to be understood'the eccentric l2 can be actuated by other sources of power or the rocker arm can be operated by a lever attached thereto in any well known manner.

It is further to be understood that the coupling mechanism herein shown disposed within the end of the stationary rail can be mounted within the end of the movable rail if found advantageous.

When the movable rail 1 has been caused to swing into alinement with the stationary rail6, the yoke pins 5, if protruding beyond the end thereof, come 1n contact with the sloping shoulders 18 of a thrust guard attached to the side of the rail. The pins 5 are thus pressed back within the rail 6 by the sloping shoulders 18 until they pass the pins which are permitted to be projected in the apertures 4 which are in alinement therewith when the two rails are brought together. The compression spring 20 which is herein shown disposed around the rod 7 for automatically projecting the yoke pins 5 into engaging contact with the slots, can

be easily displaced, as it is obvious that the eccentric action as applied to the rocker arm can cause the yoke pins 5 to engage or be disengaged from the apertures 4: when desired.

The connection between the rails is further reinforced by the extension member 2 engaging the recess slot 19 within the end of the stationary rail 6. I

What we claim isv new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

1. A railroad rail coupling vin combination with a stationary and a movable rail, a longitudinally movable member centrally disposed within the end portion of one of said rails, centrally recessed means provided in the end portion of the other of said rails, whereby said member can be caused to engage said recessed means when said rails are brought into alinement.

'2. A railroad rail coupling in combination with a stationary and a movable rail, a longitudinally movable member comprising upper and lower projecting pins centrally disposed within the end portion of one of saidrails, means operatively connected to said member for actuating said pins, upper and lower recesses centrally disposed within the end portion of the other of said rails, whereby said pins can be caused to be projected therein When said rails are brought into alinement.

3. A railroad rail coupling in combination With a stationary and a movable rail, a longitudinally movable member comprising upper and lower pins centrally disposed Within the end portion of one of said rails, eccentric means operatively connected to said member for actuating said pins, oomplemental upper and lower apertures provided in the end portion of the other of said rails, a thrust guard provided on the appreaching side of said latter rail and means provided on said longitudinally movable 15 member for automatically projecting said pins into said apertures When the same have passed yielding contact with said thrust guard.

Signed by us at Seattle, Washington, this 20 13th day of June, 1918. 

